Controversy strikes top eSports tournament yet again

The world's largest pro tournament for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remains steeped in controversy, with tournament officials ordering the replay of a quarterfinal match today until one of the sides forfeited.

Fnatic, playing on its home turf of Sweden and one of eSports' top CS:GO teams, faced a nine-round deficit in its showdown with French opponent LDLC, then deployed a boost (in which one player jumps off of another) to reach an unknown map position that offered them a huge advantage. Fnatic prevailed 16-13 and appeared to move on.

The two sides had been playing on Overpass, a map released in December of last year (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive launched in August 2012). LDLC filed a complaint about Fnatic's use of the boosting.

DreamHack tournament referees then determined that both sides used "texture transparency and (an) immortal bug," and ordered the match replayed. Four hours later, Fnatic made it a moot point by forfeiting the match, advancing LDLC to the semifinals.

There, LDLC faced Na'Vi, which advanced earlier in the tournament by beating a last-minute qualifier taking the place of a disqualified team. Two teams were dismissed after their members were caught cheating in regular play by Valve Anti-Cheat, the software that polices Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and many other games.

A month ago, DreamHack — Europe's biggest eSports festival and gaming expo — abruptly fired its CEO following an internal power struggle. The expo is set to conclude tomorrow.